2016 Volume 52 Issue 7 Pages 1342-1349
We report the case of a 9-month-old boy with esophago-tracheal fistula and recurrent nerve palsy due to lithium battery ingestion. Although an endoscopic removal of the battery lodged in the esophageal inlet under general anesthesia was successful, it took 6 hours before the removal. On day 8 after the removal, the patient choked after drinking water and chest X-ray imaging showed aspiration pneumonia. The presence of esophago-tracheal fistula and recurrent nerve palsy was revealed. Conservative treatments with NPO (nothing per os), nutritional support with parenteral and enteral nutrition, and coagulation factor XIII were provided, and oral intake was resumed after the spontaneous closure of the fistula was confirmed on day 71. By searching the databases of Japanese medical publications, 57 children including our own patient who ingested a lithium battery, which resulted in the esophageal foreign body trauma, were identified. There was a rapid increase in the number of case reports since 2000. Since lithium battery ingestion causes serious tissue injuries, it is extremely important to warn families against battery ingestion. It is also important to urge manufacturers of batteries and electric appliances to take measures to prevent health damage caused by lithium battery ingestion in children.
